


More

by moonfox281



Series: Fumes of our love [8]
Category: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Adoption, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Married Life, Mob Boss Jason, baby steps, mob wife dick, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 02:51:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14802962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonfox281/pseuds/moonfox281
Summary: “When I told you to get some groceries tonight, I imagined milk and bread.”“Well, I found him on the way back from groceries.”When Dick got back home, he didn’t expect a ten something-year-old boy, that looked a whole lot like that version of little Damian when he first formed his very own Titans team, standing in the middle of his living room, looking at him with big round eyes.





	More

 

There was a constant movement and wetness around his fingers when Dick woke up. It felt strange, hard to put it together, but he had had so many encounters with aliens and species from outer space to find it hard to compare with anything.

When he opened his eyes, it was Beast’s giant wet nose and giant amber eyes that first met his gaze. The dog licked his hand, the hand Dick had unconsciously draped over the edge of the bed in his sleep, then rested his head on the mattress, eyes pinned on Dick innocently.

Dick snorted and rubbed Beast’s ears, feeling his soft fur run through his fingers. Behind him, Jason groaned the tiniest sound and tightened his arm, the one that had wormed around Dick’s belly and pulled him flush to his wide chest, while the other one was casually pillowing Dick’s head, curling around his shoulder in full octopus mode.

Who was the clingy one now?

Jason’s legs, big and heavy, tangled with Dick’s under the covers. Dick tried to move, and winced when literally everything ached. He was young, but not so young that he could keep up with Jason’s post Lazarus Pit stamina without consequences like this.

Beast had now rested his head full on Dick’s hand, rubbing his palm like he was begging for Dick to get up.

“Alright, alright.” Dick laughed, and detangled himself from Jason.

Dick took in a breath, then two, preparing himself before actually getting up, and shakily made his way to the bathroom on noodle legs. Damn Jason.

 

If he had asked himself five years ago where he would like to see himself in the future, this must have been the furthest scenario Dick could even imagine. Him, having his peaceful morning exercise, walking the dog, and buying his husband coffee and donuts at his favorite place.

How strange it was, that time could bend literally every expectation you had for your life. He thought so as he watched Hank, one of Jason’s boys, one of Jason’s _many_ boys, the sniper from his very own personal protection team, play around with Beast as he waited to get Dick his order.

Jason, the same man who, looking back 7 years ago, would probably rather die than share the same bed with Dick, now owned thousands of henchmen under his network, and was paranoid enough to put one of his lethal guards undercover in Dick’s favorite coffee shop. 

Strange, how magical time could be.

When he got back their bedroom door was opened, as he left it, and the bed was empty. His Bat senses picked up the sound of water running, so Dick went over to the living room, played his morning Spotify playlist on speaker, and headed to the kitchen. Beast happily followed him, mouth opened into a wide silly smile with his tongue poking out.

He opened the fridge, suddenly realizing they should have gone for groceries after last night’s patrol. Gotham had been packed with so many weird things that seeing a vigilante lining up in a convenience store at 1:30 in the morning wasn’t even that much of a surprise anymore.

Beast hopped up on his front legs to watch Dick chop the fruits in curiosity, and cheerfully received the mango pieces Dick gave him every now and then. It was strange, how Dick’s life had turned from burying himself in cases, dealing with his newly formed personal problems through those cases, and getting his hands on new cases while solving said cases before, to this, thinking about the list of groceries they needed for this week and which types of dishes he should make tonight.

He was still a bit out of his head when warm, big, and strong arms curled around his abdomen, a familiar heat pressed behind his back, solid and reassuring. Dick smiled and melted himself further into Jason’s chest.

“Hello there.” Jason ducked his head down to rub his nose all over Dick’s neck, sniffing. “Whatcha making there?” He murmured between kisses down Dick’s nape and shoulder blades.

“Acai bowls.” Dick sighed when Jason’s lips sucked a little bit too hard. “I got us Belly’s donuts.”

Jason’s laugh blew air on Dick’s skin. He spun Dick around to face him, didn’t forget to give Beast a few pats on the head before it as the dog started circling around his legs.

“I love it when you act domestic.”

“Oh, this is domestic to you?” Dick smirked, feeling Jason’s hands swiping the cutting board and all the fruits aside. He was lifted up and sat down the counter in no time.

“This is to me.” Jason laughed back, and kissed Dick right in the jugular notch.

Dick shivered, and grabbed onto Jason’s hair, pulling his head up to meet his eyes.

“Didn’t you get enough last night?”

Jason’s laugh only got louder. “Of you? Never.”

 

Dick honestly couldn’t ask for more in his life.

 

* * *

 

 

When Dick got back, he had thought of a quick shower, grabbing some food before quickly going to bed before the sun got up and messed with his biological schedule that had been pretty much messed up already.

He didn’t expect a ten something year old boy, that looked a whole lot like that version of little Damian when he first formed his very own Titans team, standing in the middle of his living room, looking at him with big round eyes.

Dick, still in his Nightwing uniform, felt the escrima stick slip out of his hand.

“Hey, I don’t really have anything to fit you right now…” Jason walked out, a towel and stack of folded clothes in his hand. He noticed Dick, noticed the confusion that was bordering on shock painted on his face.

“Honey!” He beamed, eyes lighting up in a goofy way. His voice shook slightly, clearly Dick’s arrival at this time had not been his expectation.

The kid glared at him, face darkening when he looked back at Dick, his hand had gone up to grab at the hem of Jason’s shirt.

“You live with Nightwing?” He murmured quietly.

Dick’s jaw dropped to the floor. He looked back at Jason accusingly.

“Jason.” He hissed.

Jason gulped. “I can explain.”

 

Dick was dragged into the kitchen after Jason had ushered the kid into one of the guest room’s bathroom. Judging by the sweatpants and the black t-shirt, Jason must have been home for a while. Dick took off his mask, leaned on the kitchen island, crossed his arms, and watched Jason rub the back of his neck with his head hung low.

“When I told you to get some groceries tonight, I imagined milk and bread.” Dick set.

“Well, I found him on the way _back_ from groceries.” His voice suddenly dropped lower. “He tried to steal from me.”

“What?”

“I mean, he tried to steal the food, but grabbed the wrong bag.” Jason sighed, looking frustrated. “He lived on the street, Dickie. I understand that desperation.”

How could he not? Dick stayed silent, and watched Jason look away. Suddenly, whatever complaints he had planned to wash Jason with, popped off like bubbles under the shower.

He remembered the first time he saw Jason in the Manor, looking defensive and small. He remembered the way Jason used to look down on the street when flying as Robin.

It was hard to forget, when those eyes, those childish eyes, didn’t possess the same light every kid that age should have.

“Little wing.” Dick whispered and went over. He held Jason’s cheeks, kept his eyes on him. He needed to see those blues, those youthful blues.

Jason held his hands, smiling. Dick loved that smile, another shade of his personality Jason wouldn’t share with anyone but him.

“Until we can find him a home, that’s it.” Jason said, voice breathy and gentle.

“Okay.”

 

* * *

 

 

Dick woke up when he heard the slightest creak on the wooden floor. He untangled himself from Jason’s hold, and grabbed on the wingding he had hidden under the pillow.

“Dick?” Jason perched his head up from the pillow, voice hoarse and eyes heavy from sleep.

“Shh.” Dick hushed him, and slowly made his way out of the room.

Dick had almost forgotten there was a kid in his home until he found the boy trying to break the lock open with a hanger by the window. Dick watched him struggle, curse under his breath and continue trying. There was a bag over his shoulder, swollen big with whatever stuff he had packed in there, must be mostly clothing, food. Dick looked aside and noticed the watch Jason usually left on the coffee table in his reading area was missing.

Dick continued watching him for quite a while, and tucked the wingding under his waistband. Jason appeared behind his back, the cold metal of the gun lightly pressed in the back of Dick’s tightly when he stood too close before Jason tucked it back behind his back like Dick did.

“He’s still trying?”

Dick nodded and leaned to back to Jason’s chest. “I saw the mark on the front door. He must have tried there too.”

“It must have been 10 minutes. He’s getting some real arm workouts today.”

“He’s sweating. The amount of effort is amazing.”

 

The kid finally gave up after what felt like forever. He swore voiceless sentences, mouth formed wide into a scream that just wouldn’t come out, his legs kicking around in full frustration. Honestly, Dick felt a little guilty to find this humorous.

When his head turned, he finally, _finally_ saw Dick and Jason, who had stood there for way too long.

“Oh shit!” The kid screamed, landing back on his ass down on the floor. “How long have you two been there?”

They both shrugged. “Uh… literally since you started?” Jason casually stated.

“What the hell? Aren’t you guys supposed to do something? What the actual shit!”

The kid started yelling, Dick was honest to god amazed.

“You know whom he reminds me off?” He smirked and turned his head aside to look at Jason.

“Oh shut up.” Jason rolled his eyes and landed one hand on the side of Dick’s hip. He sighed loudly when he saw the kid trying to break the window with the hanger. “Kid, stop. That’s triple glaze bulletproof glass, it’ll take a missile to break it.”

The kid had turned from looking frustrated to offhandedly angry and offended. “I don’t need you mocking on me!” He changed his target to the next window.

“You know every window is the same, right?”

“GAHHHHH!”

Dick felt pity for the kid. Honestly, what else did he expect from the home of two vigilantes?

“Maybe you should tell him that even Green Arrow can’t break through our security.” Dick whispered into Jason’s neck as he fully leaned all his weight onto his husband’s body.

Jason only shrugged and held him. “Nah, let him try. It’s a rare occasion that we can get a morning this entertaining.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

 

“So, what’s your name?”

Dick asked while he filled the kid’s plate with sausages and eggs. Those brown eyes lit up like studio lights when he smelled the butter and saw the food.

“Why would I tell you that?” He said with a grumpy face but the drool was literally dripping out of his mouth.

“Because he gave you food and asked the damn question.” Jason sat down on the opposite side of the table and poured the coffee out for Dick and himself. “Now spill.”

The kid still looked fidgety but argued no more. His eyes darted around when Dick casually sat down and received the coffee mug Jason had prepared for him. He looked at them for a while then back down at his dish, gulping.

Dick had honestly forgotten he had asked the question, and was quite distracted with breakfast and Jason’s report on last night’s patrol, when the kid suddenly sobbed. Jason and Dick stopped their conversation to look at his tear drenched face, snot pooled down around the upper curl of his lip as he bit in a mouthful of buttered toast.

“Wow.” Jason was more or less frozen, didn’t know how to react.

Dick looked at the kid in concern. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

The boy didn’t answer, he just continued crying while eating his food. When Jason pushed the bacon basket closer to his side, Dick looked back at him, only to find his husband had draped on a stoic look at him.

“Here, have some of this.” He said, with Dick looked at him in surprise. “Feels good, right? I know it does.”

The kid grabbed on a handful of bacon and shoved it into his already stuffed mouth. Only then, Dick understood. The boy must not have gotten a decent meal since forever. The way he devoured the food made Dick’s stomach twist.

A child shouldn’t have to cry over a simple meal. A child shouldn’t have to live on the streets and fight to survive.

“The name’s Creed.” The kid finally murmured with his mouth stuffed full, eyes looking anywhere but at Dick’s.

It was fine though. Dick smiled and watched him eat throughout the rest of the meal with his hand held tightly in Jason’s.

 

* * *

 

 

Creed still wore a grumpy face until he saw the next meal of the day. Around noon Jason had left for whatever business he had with the gang, which left Dick having lunch with the boy all alone. It would have been way easier if his husband was around, Dick thought as Creed spent most of the time ducking his nose down at the food and dishes on the table instead of making eye contact with him.

The silence was a little awkward, but Dick let it be. He couldn’t imagine what the kid was going through as he watched him literally burying his whole face down in the pumpkin soup bowl. The way he ate made him seem desperate, and based on what Jason had told Dick about life on the streets of Gotham, who wouldn’t be.

After lunch, Dick spent most of the time on the couch writing the report for a recently finished case for Damian. It didn’t slip from his eyes when Creed wandered around the apartment. He heard light gasps and murmurs, chuckling a little when the kid accidently banged himself on something.  

The kid came back sometime later, landing himself on the couch on the furthest side from Dick, hand fidgeting with Beast’s chew toy nearby.

“So, you guys are like, together?” Creed stared down at Dick’s hand, gulping a little. It took Dick a moment to realize, the ring.

“Kind of.” Dick huffed, his hand came up to rub on the ring innocently.

He remembered the second Jason put it on him, the face he made while doing so. After all this time, the one who was the bravest in this relationship had always been Jason.

“It must be nice.” Creed suddenly murmured, still looking away. “Being loaded like this.”

Dick shrugged, he couldn’t say he didn’t frown 5 out of 10 times Jason bought him something a tad too fancy for the Diamond District standard.

“Well, I have more than I can ever ask for.”

“Yeah right, that’s what rich people usually say.” The kid huffed in a bitter way. His lips drew up close to a sneer. Right, Dick had almost forgotten the Alley’s residents tended to have a temper issue. “How does it feel, reeking of fresh money while walking around this neighborhood?”

Brat.

“Well, people tend to look at different things first when they see me.” Dick smirked and watched Creed’s eyes widen.

He avoided Dick’s gaze again, a light blush painted over his frowning face.

Dick sighed. He rubbed his ring again, felt the decent weight of it on his finger. Memories of that night could still come back as fresh as yesterday, the day Jason knelt down on one knee, looking nervous like he was offering his whole world on a risky gamble. That face, that handsome face wrapped up in the nicest suit Dick had ever seen him in. Those hands, big and calloused, strong and lethal, held the little velvet box and couldn’t stop shaking. That smile, that beautiful warm smile, lacking in his usual confidence, the Red Hood’s cockiness, came so close to crying.

Dick laughed breathily, when he thought how it was possible back then that Jason thought he could ever say no.

“You know,” He said, looking into the kid’s eyes, and making him look back. “It might be flashy, and honestly, I’d normally go with something way simpler.” He rubbed the ring again, continuing to think about Jason while his mind played flashbacks. “But it’s what he worked his heart out for me, what he saw as the suitable price for what we’d been through, to be with each other. It’s his way of showing affection.” Dick looked down at the ring, down at that familiar sea blue shine, smiling.

“I… can’t find myself accepting anything but this ring.”

 

There was a light thud near the doorway, and Dick’s head snapped right back in surprise. Jason stood there, a duffle bag down by his leg, eyes widen, mouth agape.

“Uh… I’m home?” His tongue tripped, an awkward smile drawn on his face.

Creed didn’t seem to welcome his arrival so much, as he slipped off the couch and bailed to the guestroom. He was like that shy child of the family that lurked around and behind the door, peeking in on everyone when the guests came.

Dick didn’t see the point of being afraid of Jason. Yes, his man might have a reputation of brutally killing scumbags and making scenes with the GCPD. And yes, he might also spend more than half of his time scaring people with a red helmet and ordering around a national criminal organization. But all of that aside, he was just a goofy husband that craved morning cuddles and enjoyed Belly’s bagels.

Jason stumbled inside like he had seen a ghost with his boots still on and the bag discarded next to the door. Only when Dick ahemed at him did the man seem to snap out of it and take his boots off.

“You okay, baby?” Dick asked with a questioning quirk of eyebrow.

Jason still looked like he had lost a part of his functional nervous system. “Uh... how… how were things at home?”  

“Nothing special.” Dick looked at him suspiciously after Jason took a quick look at the guest room where Creed was hiding.

Then, finally, it came to his mind.

“How long have you been standing there?”

Jason shrugged and scratched his head. Fuck.

“Long enough to hear everything.”

Dick closed the lid of his laptop and groaned into the pillow. A decent weight fell on his back, warm and huge, shadowing his whole.

“Pretty bird,” Again with that nickname. Jason tended to use it when he was in a good mood, or when he messed up really badly and tried to get Dick into a better mood. “Did you mean all of it, the things you said?”

Dick felt his breath on the back of his neck, felt his kisses landing on the exposed skin. Dick felt warm and protected.

He chirped into the pillow. “I meant it. All of it.”

It was so small that he had hoped Jason wouldn’t catch it. But he did, boy he did. There were arms everywhere, all of the sudden. They pulled Dick off the couch and in a swift moment, he found himself curled in Jason’s lap like Alfred the cat.

Jason hugged him tight, as tight as Dick was holding onto the pillow. His laptop was still there, squeezed between his chest and the fold of his legs. There were lips, peppering down Dick’s hair, and there were hands holding on his waist and the back of his thighs.

“I’m glad I heard all of it.” Jason whispered into Dick’s hair.

Dick was too embarrassed so he buried his face further into Jason’s chest. The hem of his long jacket scratched his face a little, but Dick enjoyed this human heater that he had married.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw Creed, peeking through the crack of the door, face twisted and turning green, like he had eaten out of date food. 

 

* * *

 

 

The next night when Dick heard the floor creaked, Jason pulled him right back down to his chest and held him there with a strong arm draped over his waist.

“Just ignore him. He’ll tire out in the morning.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Jason.”

“It’s 4 in the fucking morning. Can’t we just grab some sleep and deal with it around 9 or 10?”

The sound outside soon turned into a louder banging.

Jason honest to god, growled. “If he’s using that candlestick Clark gave us on our wedding day, he’s screwed.”

“He’s going to hurt himself sooner or later.” Dick whispered into Jason’s chest. He stared at the seam line of his tank while listening to the constant sound outside.

“He brings it on himself.” Jason stated nonchalantly. His arms only tightened around Dick.

“Jason.”

“Nope.”

“Jay…”

“Dick‒”

“My love.”

Jason snorted then groaned in defeat. “Okay, Jesus. You’re lucky _you_ are my love.”

Dick grinned and buried himself in Jason’s pillow as his husband got up, fixed his boxers and got out to check on Creed.

“Oh fuck, that’s a fucking wedding gift, you brat!”

“What the fuck man, you just got back. How are you still awake?!”

Dick buried his head deeper into the pillow to muffle all the shouts outside. Sleep, he needed his sleep.

“What the shit do you expect when you get out? And is that my fucking Rolex? How much do you think that shit will get you out there? 200 bucks for my 10,000?!”

“Ain’t your fucking business! And what the actual fuck? What kind of person spends 10,000 on a fucking watch?”

“The kind that feeds you German sausages and married a 10 million dollar baby, you dipshit. Now put that thing down!”

So noisy. So rude. Such language. Alley’s habitants and their attitude.

There was the sound of metal heavily making contact somewhere, and then there was wrestling noises, screaming and loud grunts. Dick hoped Jefferson down stairs was on the night shift tonight.

“You wanna go back out there? Fine, I’ll let you. But tell me what exactly you’re gonna do. Huh, what you’re gonna fucking do when you’re out there again?” Jason roared out, the kind of demanding tone that made people bow to him.

“I said it ain’t your fuckin’ business! What the hell do you know, sitting on money with a pretty boy waiting for you at home every day like that?”   

“You’ve got some nerve, bullshitting like that.” Jason growled. Even Dick couldn’t help but flinch. He couldn’t imagine what kind of face Creed was making right now.

There was silence, for a few seconds. Dick realized he had stayed wide awake for their conversation out there the whole time.

When Jason spoke again, his voice was as low and rumbly as the tone the helmet gave him.

“I give you two choices. One, you go and crawl back to that dumpster where I found you, spend all the money you can get from selling our stuff until, assuming you won’t get stolen, you run out of it and start eating mud and trash people throw away for the rest of your life again, and listening to fire shots through your sleep on another household fire escape. Or two, you stay here, eat my food, sleep on my bed, don’t worry who will trace you next, and wait until we find you a decent home to go to.”

It was quiet again, like all the sounds had sunk down onto the floor. Dick heard the clock ticking, felt every second pass by. He thought about what Jason had said and thought how much of it had come out of his very own experience from living on the devilish streets of Gotham.

Dick flinched when there was a faint peep, and he realized it was Jason disarming their security system on the front door.

“Think it through, kid. But remember, next time I see you snatching grocery bags from decent citizens on the street again, I won’t hesitate in putting you down like I do to all the scum in this city.”

Just like that, Jason got back to their bedroom, face stone cold under Dick’s surprised expression, and closed the door of their bedroom. He crawled into the bed, and pulled half of Dick up onto his chest again, arms curling around him.

Dick rubbed his cheek on him for a while, before whispering. “You don’t have to scare him like that.”

Jason made small circles on Dick’s shoulder with his thumb, eyes looking up at the ceiling. “He’s an Alley boy, Dickie. He needs a push. We all do.”

Which was exactly why Dick pushed Jason to handle Creed. The boy was being an urchin, showing his thorns to them. He needed someone with the ability to understand his situation, his misery, his pain.

Jason knew his way, how to handle him, what was going on in his harsh mind. Alley boy to Alley boy, they shared the same symphony, one Dick couldn’t read nor understand.

 

In the faint of sleep, Dick heard the sound of the guestroom door shutting closed. And throughout the night, until the morning when Dick woke up to the feeling of Jason’s kisses on his naked shoulder, and the smell of his fried bacon on buttered pan, the front door was never opened.   

 

* * *

 

 

Creed had put on a better manner since that day. He still ate his food with the desperation of a starved man, which was true honestly, and he still avoided eye contact when it wasn’t necessary. He started talking more since day 4, which put Dick at ease.

Jason had gotten busy with gang business lately. He just opened another base of operations, another territory, when new things came up, the appearance of a leader to form a steady foundation was always needed. Dick had starting to expect the day his husband took over the rest of this world’s underground system. It wasn’t like it was impossible, if Jason truly had ambition, at this rate, it was nowhere near impossible.

Dick was cooking lunch while Jason was asleep in their bedroom after a whole night of coming back and forth between Gotham and Turkey, when Creed crawled off the couch and snuck into the kitchen with him.

“Whatcha making?” He asked, perching on the counter next to Dick while eyeing the bags of veggie he had placed on the counter.

Dick looked down at him in surprise. This must be the first time the kid had ever come this close to him.

“Kung Pao chicken.” Dick watched Creed again, and took in the innocent expression he was making. He couldn’t help but smile. “Would you like to help?”

Creed nodded, his cheeks puffed a little.

Dick eyed his hands, tiny and patchy, with fainted scars and callous spots. He had to remind himself this was Gotham, and this child, like his husband, was just another citizen this painfully beautiful city treated wrong.

He saw Creed’s nails, long and dirty, and two entirely missing from his fingers. He felt like hugging the kid, patting his head and kissing his hair. He wanted to know his story behind those pains, wanted him to feel safe.

“You need to wash your hand first.” Dick decided instead.

He knew what he wanted, but also knew what he must do. Alley people were sensitive. Treat them right, earn their hearts, they’d come to you, loyal and heartful for the rest of their life, because these people, under their tough and unfriendly shells, were just lonely and frightened souls, waiting to be loved.

“Here, use the washer.” Dick pumped the liquid into Creed’s waiting palms, then held his small hands, guiding him to wash under the water.

“Wait here.” He said, and came out to the living room to get a nail clipper.

He cut Creed’s nails one by one while the boy patiently watched him on top of the counter he was sitting on. Dick blew his nails once he was done, and helped Creed wash his hands again.

He told the kid to wash the veggies, which in the end led to Dick pointing and teaching him everything instead of Creed helping him. It was fine though, and Dick enjoyed the comfy silence in between them as the kid nodded and followed through every one of his instructions.

“Here, you can try.” Dick gave Creed the knife and pointed at the cutting board with half of the onion and the residue of what he had done waiting on it.  

Creed’s face turned blank, then twisted in confusion. “You… trust me with a knife?” He mumbled, voice barely making it out of his throat.

Dick just shrugged. “Why not?”

He could handle Deathstroke with two swords, so what could a festive stray cat like Creed possibly do? Back when Damian first came to the Manor, he had put up a whole hell on Dick and still, he survived. Nowadays, he even put those stories out to make fun of his little brother, which usually put him in a twisted regret and blushing mode.

Creed shakily received the knife from Dick’s hand, and ducked his head down low throughout the rest of the process. Dick smiled when at the end, Creed wiped his face and harshly rubbed his reddened eyes with the back of his sleeves.

“It’s not me, it’s the onion.”

Maybe it was true, maybe it was not. Dick kept on smiling anyway.

Dick blamed himself for getting too distracted that he hadn’t realized the eyes on him before. He could detect a sniper three blocks away with his instincts alone, he should have noticed his husband before. But Creed, he was like Gotham’s fall winds, blowing him with the flow of his innocence. By the time they were done, Dick had already let his guard down.

He didn’t even have any idea how long Jason had been watching them, smiling.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey, put your elbow up higher. That’s right, keep it up like that.”

Dick heard Jason laughing from behind their gym door. He just got back from a mission with the Titans, Manhattan was great if some alien hadn’t decided to throw an invasion tantrum on it. It was strange how most of his free time on the 3-day mission he spent thinking about how Jason and the kid back home were doing.

“You’re got some muscle there, kid. Work it out and maybe you can play football in no time.”

He heard laughter, Creed’s comeback in snicker and his thick Gothamite accent, just like Jason’s.

Dick smiled, leaning himself on the door as he listened to their voices mixing in with each other. They swore, then they laughed, there were sounds of hits landing on the sand bags, Jason’s deep voice and low tone, Creed’s laughs and high screams.

They must have bonded while Dick was away. He knew it would come, sooner or later. Gotham’s boys, Alley’s children, get them out of their hard life, out of the push of their survival instincts, they would bond, and come to each other like natural forces.

Dick didn’t even change out of his Nightwing suit, he just stood there and listened to them. It felt strangely comfortable.

 

* * *

 

 

“That’s one huge ass dog.”

Creed lurked behind the plant pot when Beast circled around Dick’s legs in excitement. He just got back from the Manor, smelling nicely of Alfred’s pet shower gel and a little bow tie on his leash that must have been put on by Cass when she swung by the Cave.

“Do you wanna pet him?” Jason grinned when he pulled Creed out of his hiding place.

Creed’s face paled to the point that he looked unhealthy, legs scrambled on the floor. “No thanks… I mean it! Fuck, let me go!”

When Beast smelled an alien scent on the kid, he started growling, fur coming all up in Dick’s surprise.

“He’s foaming!!!” Creed started yelling, thrashing all limps on Jason. “Fuckfuckfuck!!! Let me go you asshole!”

“Be nice, Beast.” Jason laughed out loud then ordered, which completely killed off Beast’s murder mode. “Come and pet him. If you don’t, he’ll chase you out of this place in half a day.”

Creed reluctantly came over to pet Beast.

 

2 hours later, he couldn’t get off the dog.

 

* * *

 

 

“I think I found a place for Creed.”

Dick announced once they got back from patrol. Jason stopped halfway through taking his shirt off, eyes staring at Dick like he had seen a ghost.

“A place?” He asked, like he had no idea what Dick was talking about.

Dick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, a 40 year old couple in Upper West Side, a spot on record, decent income, and a huge desperation for a child.”

Finding a family for Creed wasn’t easy at all. The kid was coming to his 15th year which was way out the standard age of adoption, and to find a decent household on the good side of Gotham, far away from trouble, more than ready to accept a kid with a record like Creed’s, it took Dick two weeks.

Still, Dick was satisfied with his work. He didn’t trust the system, knew how twisted it worked, and Jason out of all people knew the bitter facts behind those doors of the orphanages.

“We should take him to their place. Get him to know them, maybe let him stay over for a week or so until the kid can decide.”

Jason didn’t answer him, only stayed put on his legs, frozen in his half naked form. Dick felt the tension in his shoulders, and came over.

“You okay, honey?”

Jason only looked down at him with knitted brows, much to Dick’s surprise.

“What if he doesn’t want to go?” He said.

Dick almost laughed out loud. He hadn’t expected Jason had put that much care into the kid. “Don’t worry, I checked on them, three times even. They’re more than nice, and their neighborhood is decent. Nothing can go wrong, Creed will like them in an instant.”

 

* * *

 

 

The boy lashed out and escaped after 5 days. It wasn’t even a week, and Dick had been so confident that it literally shook him when the couple frantically called him that the kid had gone missing.

In the end, Jason’s men found him somewhere near Sprang River after half an hour of searching. He was already making his way Uptown, back to where Jason had found him, Crime Alley. Jason took him back home, and once Dick rushed back and found him on the couch, clothes dirty and face bright red with Jason standing next to him, he marched right over.

“You had me worried sick.” He couldn’t help but raise his voice. He had imagined the worst, Creed out there, alone and lost in a strange area far away from what he knew.

“Hey, breath, babe.” Jason knelt down and rubbed his back. Dick breathed, evened out the beat of his heart, and sighed. “I thought the Robinsons were enough for you.”

He had worked hard on them, had done too many checks on them that it had even entertained the couple.

_“Young man, if you care about the kid that much, why don’t you take him over yourself?”_

They had asked. And Dick had wanted to cry when he laughed it off. His life, the life he had chosen, it wasn’t meant for something like that.

Creed stayed silent and hung his head low. He avoided Dick’s eyes, no matter how desperate he was for seeing his expression, his hands fidgeted on the edge of his shirt. It took him forever to speak, but when he did, it came out so broken it literally hurt Dick’s heart.

“But I don’t want them.”

Dick felt hard to breath, and he had to stand up to calm down. He didn’t know what he had done wrong. And he had wanted the best for the kid, had wanted for him to have a future, a future where he could be happy and carefree like a normal child should be.

Jason suddenly got up from his knees and pulled Dick into their bedroom, closing the door behind and leaving Creed on his own with Beast starting to come over to cheer him up.

“I… I tried.” Dick heaved, looking down and then everywhere. “I thought...” Dick felt lost, and the words couldn’t get out.

Jason hugged him in the speed of light, squeezing him in his embrace, like he wanted to melt Dick there, into him until they became one.

“Don’t blame yourself.” He whispered, blowing kisses on Dick’s hair. “I know you tried.”

Dick buried his face into Jason’s chest. He felt like crying. He didn’t want to fail.

“I thought he could choose them. I thought… he was ready to decide.” He whispered.

Jason went silent, until he leaned back just enough for his hand to pull Dick’s chin up. Dick looked at him, and went speechless under his sad eyes. Those eyes, the same eyes Jason had made when he had proposed to him.

“What if he has already decided?” He said. “What if, he has already known what he wants?”

Dick looked at him in confuse. And Jason read through him.

“Dick,” He stopped, gathered his breath, and tried again. “He chose us.”

It took his breath away. Dick wasn’t an idiot. He knew the kid had bonded with Jason, and Jason had liked the kid more than he should. He knew what was going through Jason’s mind, what… had gone through his mind for years since they married.

“No,” Dick shook his head, and twisted himself out of Jason’s hold. Jason stayed stubborn, and hugged him from his back. “Jason, no. We can’t.”

“Why not?” His voice shook. This man, this brave _brave_ man, Dick felt scared when he made this man feel shaken.

“A kid isn’t like Beast, Jason.”

“You think I don’t know that? I understand the responsibility that will follow. I… want to have that responsibility, with you.”

No. A kid would mean the next step, a kid would mean an agreement, a reassurance. A kid… would mean further commitment.

The ring felt heavy on his hand. And Creed’s presence outside, suddenly felt too much.

“Dick,”

Jason called, too close. His voice, his breath, all hovered on Dick’s earlobe. His arms, strong and big arms, muscular like the oak branches, wrapped around him, trapped him, didn’t let him leave.

Jason hunched over, squeezing on him tight. Dick was urged to run, but worse, he wanted to melt.

“Dick,” He called, again. “I want more.”

Dick was afraid of more. He felt scared. He wanted to run out into the night, but Jason’s arms tightened. He sounded hurt, pain seeped through his words that echoed in the room. Dick wanted to cry.

He wanted more too.

“We can’t.”

“Why?”

_Our life. Me. How could you trust me?_

Dick felt Jason’s sob running on the back of his neck, knew he was begging, knew he was hurting his feeling.

“I trust you. I trust _us_.”

“I would hurt you, and him. I’d hurt you all.” What would happen if things broke apart? What would happen, if Dick drove them to their limits? It was a miracle that they made it until now, that their marriage survived after 3 years without even a sweat. Taking another step, may put everything down, and turn it all into ashes.

“Then hurt us.” Jason said, voice so strong and confident it stopped Dick’s heart.

Dick froze when Jason hunched even lower. He kissed Dick’s neck, light and gentle.

 “After all these years, if this is how you hurt me, then hurt me more. Because this must be the sweetest kind of pain I’ve ever had.”

 

God, what had Dick ever done to deserve this man in his life?

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Are you ready?”

“Nope.”

Jason huffed out a big laugh when he pulled the car over on the pathway.

“Wow, did you guys really grow up in this place?” The kid’s eyes rolled up, eyeing the place with glowing eyes.

“He did, mostly.” Jason pointed at Dick, then pulled off his seatbelt. “Now, you remember what I told you?”

“Manner maketh man.”

Dick laughed out loud and got out of the car. He held the kid’s hand, and squeezed it when he smiled back at him. Jason held his waist and stepped behind beside the boy.

“Remember your manners, boys.” Dick stated when waiting by the door.

“And remember my name. I’m not Creed anymore.” He smirked at Dick, and Jason laughed.

Dick felt warmth bloom in his chest, and felt the hand on his waist tighten.

“This is your important place?” He asked, gulping.

Dick smiled, looked back at Jason, smiled back at him when his eyes glowed like the diamond on his own ring. Dick answered, without second thought.

“One of them.”

 

When Alfred opened the door. He felt like crying all of the sudden, and it felt the same when Jason proposed him.

“Hey Al, I’d like you to meet someone. He’s John, John Peter Grayson-Todd.”  

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, I hope you enjoyed this. Just here to remind you that no matter what's happening in your life, you're a beautiful soul and deserve all the best!
> 
> You can also find me at [here](http://moonfox281.tumblr.com/) . I take prompt and write stupid quotes as well, so if you want to make friend or have something to ask, be my guest. Have a lovely day ;)


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